Dowe
by amanmademonster
Summary: A series of short stories intertwined telling the tale of a family in the Mortal Kombat universe. Their interactions with other Kombatants, the history of their family. This is still an ongoing process.
1. Chapter 1

An attempt at a series of short stories, following the adventures and introduction of one family in Earthrealm. Contains a whole freaking family full of OCs and their relationships with members of the MK universe. These stories take place years after Armageddon, which will be explained later on.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the MK characters or locations or any of that matter. Anything that is not already in the MK universe is possibly mine but I don't really care too much if anyone wants to take my stuff at this point because well... who would want it?

These stories will have a low rating for now but I have no idea what is going to happen next so it might go up. If you have any questions about the relationships that aren't answered in these stories, just leave them in the comments, they'll probably be ignored and you will have to just wait to read the rest in order to find out.

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The Story of Riley- Part 1

One would not expect that an abandoned temple in the Pacific Islands would be so cold in the summer time. A secret temple, on a secretive island that very few humans have travelled to. This seclusion from the rest of the global society is for the best, however. As most people of earthrealm go on about their daily toils they do not need to worry about the dangers that threaten their home, both foreign and domestic. But regardless of the nature of this strange island, the temple, which for thousands of years has been one of the homes of the Lin Kuei, was really really cold. And for Arashi, standing in the chambers reserved for the Grand Master, high officials and... honoured guests, it seemed colder than ever before.

Arashi was new to the clan. Recruited no more than a year ago as I write this. He was young, tall, strong, well disciplined, and as far as his masters could tell, the boy knew no fear. That is, until this moment. He was not alone in this room. His Grand Master, Sub Zero, sat before him on an elaborately designed thrown. To his right on a smaller, equally elaborate, yet seemingly out of place thrown, sat a woman whose soft ageless beauty masked a wisdom far beyond anyone's guess. This was the one moment in Arashi's career as a member of the Lin Kuei that he feared the most... his mother found him.

The two family members had not lost eye contact since Arashi stepped into the room. Sub Zero's gaze travelled between the two, his face emotionless. His true feelings about the unorthodoxy of the meeting, and why he allowed it to happen... and why he wanted to witness it for that matter, have still gone unanswered by the Master. Arashi looked as any child would when caught in the act of doing something behind their parents back, like a deer facing high beams. Unable to fight or flight, or brace for the verbal impact he knew he was about to receive, the boy just stood there waiting for his mother to draw the first blood. His mother, on the other hand, simply smiled and sat well poised in her chair, sipping from a cup of warm tea her host had graciously provided her previous to her sons arrival.

Finally, after her tea was finished, the guest spoke. "So Riley, your master here has told me that you are proceeding at an extraordinary rate with your training." Arashi kept silent and expressionless. While he did not hate being called by his given name, he had been so accustomed to being called Arashi. And to have his Grand Master find out that he did lie over something as trivial as a name, was to say the very least, embarrassing. 'This is nothing,' he thought to himself, 'she has only just begun.'

"Of course, I am not surprised to hear this." his mother continued on. "You've always worked hard to make sure you were on top. Always pushing yourself to do better. And always wanting to stand out from the rest of the family. Your father had always thought you would go join the White Lotus, of course I knew better. The Lin Kuei offer you far more thrills and adventure than the White Lotus could. And discipline, I know how upset you are when people get out of order."

She paused, smiling as she glanced over at her host and then back to her son. Arashi at this point kept his head up strait, but his eyes were on the floor, avoiding the sight of both his master and his mother. "You know," she started again. "I remember when you were no more than seven, a baby bird had fallen out of its nest. You brought it back to your father's temple and tried so hard to take care of it. You kept it warm, fed it, nursed it back to health. You carried that little bird on your shoulder everywhere you went. I believe you named it Tip. And when that bird flew away you were so upset,"

"Mother please stop," Arashi shyly tried to interrupt his mother's story.

"You cried and cried 'why would Tip leave me?'" the woman continued, ignoring her sons humble attempts to end his punishment. "'He was my birdy. I took good care of him. What if he gets hurt? What if an animal eats him?' I tried to tell you that all birdies leave their nests when they are ready. But you did not want to hear it. You wanted your little Tip back so you could feed it, keep it warm and love it."

Arashi's mother paused, waiting for the moral of her story to set within her son. "I'm not mad at you for leaving. I'm not even that mad at the fact you never bothered to say good bye to me or your father. I knew exactly where you were going. You may have just found out who you want to be just a few years ago, but I've known you all your life. It also helps that I happen to know Sub Zero as well, and while he did know that you were my son this whole time, I assure you... me finding you hear was all my workings, you master told me nothing."

Arashi raised his head starring wide eyed at his mother, in shock at the knowledge that she had known his master. "How do you know Sub Zero?" he asked, forgetting the formalities he normally associated to when referring to his master. His mother sank back into her chair looking over at the Grand Master of the Lin Kuei. Though he had grown older since they had first met, time had been gracious towards him. He looked just as strong as he did when we was a young man taking part in his first Mortal Kombat tournament. Of course his face looked much wiser, and his hair much thinner and grey. "Sub Zero and I go way back. Before you were born. He is a good man, and I trust him with my life. I also trust him with yours. That is why I am allowing you to stay with the Lin Kuei my boy."

Arashi's gaze fell to the floor again. The bird story was bad enough, but to actually say out loud that she was giving him 'permission' to join the Lin Kuei, in front of his master. The boy made a silent prayer to the elder gods that they might at that moment grant him the gift of invisibility.

The woman then stood up out of her chair, and made a slight bow towards her host. As Sub Zero called for a guard to escort her from the Lin Kuei base to her husband's temple, Arashi's mother walked over to her son, who towered over her, and gave him a big hug. Pulling away and holding his shoulders in her arms she whispered a stern warning, "The Lin Kuei have had a very rocky past. Politics change every day. Promise me that your loyalties will be to Sub Zero first, even through death, your loyalties are to Sub Zero." She then kissed her son on his cheek, and carefully wiped away the smudge she left on his face plate.

Arashi stood there, not too sure what to think of the command given by his mother. He was quite sure Sub Zero had not heard what she had said, and when it came to strange words of wisdom given by his mother, he figured it best he kept it a secret.

As he stood contemplating the message, his mother was already preparing to leave. "Well," she said to her son's back. "Don't you have anything to say to your dear mother who came all this way to see you?"

A smile crept over the young man's face, hidden by his mask. A spark. A brief flicker in his brain of a sarcastic humour that his mother should be able to appreciate. A moment of defiance, to show the woman that her attempts at guilting him would not phase him any more. He was not a little child easily swayed by his mother's emotions. "Yeah," he said turning to face her. "Don't tell father my father where I am please and thank you."

The woman gave her son a large smile as a bit of laughter left her mouth. She turned towards her old companion, "Good bye Sub Zero, thank you for having me here." "Good bye Ms Dowe," Sub Zero returned the farewell and walked away. He had other pressing matters to return to, and Arashi, Riley Dowe, was left in the really cold chambers alone as he watched another Lin Kuei walk his mother out of the temple. He was finally free to do what he wanted. He was always free to do what he wanted, he just never knew that.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Everything I said in the first chapter applies to this as well.

A brief review of the history of the realms- 00

Long ago, long long ago, before the House of Dowe had any influence over Earthrealm, or any of the other realms for that matter, long long long long ago, there was a great war. Well, not so much of a war as a great battle. And there were no soldiers or armies or sides, even the divisions of good and evil were very vague. But there was a great battle that was to decide the fate of the whole universe. The beautiful prophet Delia had foreseen the event, and her husband Argus, a powerful god and protector of the realm of Edenia, had sacrificed his sons to a great quest that would save us all.

The quest had failed, horribly, and as the very fabrics that kept the universe stable began to weaken, the Elder Gods finally intervened. A seemingly unthinkable kombatant from earthrealm was chosen as the herald of the gods. Oddly enough, his own vanity and arrogance over the years was what shielded him from the taint of hatred, deception, and chaos that had left a stain on all his comrades. His being chosen amongst other worthy candidates is still debated amongst philosophers and monks. But how the message is delivered is of little importance, the actual message itself was what brought the aftermath of armageddon to a swift end.

It is said that years after the battle with Blaze, when Taven, son of Argus, failed to subdue the kombatants, John the Herald sent out a call that echoed throughout all the realms and the people came in fear and love and awe and terror towards the voice that spoke through the mortal. He damned those people, for it was through their own pride and ignorance and greed and lust that they had brought armageddon upon themselves. New rules and divisions were given throughout the realms, and new punishments would be put into affect for those who dare to question or violate the orders of the Elder Gods. No longer would they stand idly by and let the fate of all existence be left in the hands of fools. The war between the forces of dark and light had come to a stalemate with a stern warning from the heavens "You are being watched."

Not all present were pleased with the message. Shinnok, the disgraced former Elder God, was the first to question the orders given by John the Herald. Keeping to their word, the Elder Gods brought down their wrath in all its power upon Shinnok. Before the eyes of those around him Shinnok was struck down with a dark force that sent his whole being into a state of non-existence. No longer would the Elder Gods be merciful in their punishment, no longer would those who defile the ordinance of the Gods be stripped of their powers or banished to the lowest of realms. The Elder Gods had learned from their past mistakes and they were now determined never to let them be repeated. Too much was at stake to risk a repeat of the events of armageddon, and everyone present seemed to learn their lesson.

And so as shady alliances ended, bridges were built or burnt, forgiveness given where due, and even lives restored through one means or another, life returned to as it was and as it always will be. The realms of Chaos and Order will always feud. Outworld will always strive for control over the other realms, though strict sanctions had been placed on their ability to possess sovereignty over realms as well as the realms ability to regain their independence, and Shao Khan was in no position to question the decisions of the Elder Gods after they graciously reinstated him as ruler of Outworld.

In the years since John the Herald came with his message and left, and before events that brought the existence of Caelestis to the known realms, there have been three Mortal Kombat tournaments, one through which Hotaru had lost control of the walled city of Lie Chen, he returned to Seido seemingly unfazed by the loss. Another saw the final liberation of Edenia from Shao Khan's control.

But there was one thing that worried the Elder Gods more than anything. The barriers between the realms had been weakened greatly. If left unchecked, gateways could open between dimensions in places where they should not be. This problem of course could only be healed in time, and the chances of a portal opening to a realm unknown by the Elder Gods themselves would be improbable, and that what would most likely happen would be that a portal linking one of the six realms to another would occur, this would still be an event that the Elder Gods would have liked to avoid and resolve as soon as possible if need be.

And so, as decreed by John the Herald, after the divine intervention of the Elder Gods brought peace to the realms, an order to the guardians of all respected realms that if they were to discover a gateway, destroy it. It would take a millennia before the universe would heal itself on its own, and it was up to the very people who caused it's near destruction in the first place to make sure the status quo was maintained at any cost. This concludes your brief review of the history of the realms.


	3. Chapter 3

The story of Quinn Part 1

Disclaimer: Everything except for Quinn and Tenzin are owned by dem peoples who own Mortal Kombat. Enjoy I guess

No person, god or mortal, knew the wonders of the benevolence, and forgiveness of human nature better than the thunder god Rayden. Once protector of Earthrealm, than Elder God, Rayden had given up his higher position in order to once again save his most beloved realm from the forces of the Deadly Alliance. This, as we all know, was in the times leading up to armageddon. Whilst attempting to defeat the Dragon King, Rayden had become exposed to a darkness that spread through his body like a disease, distorting his perception on reality. He became consumed with a rage and hatred, destroying the lives of the people who loved him the most and whom he had loved as well.

Restoring the thunder god to his previous self was a far from easy task. It took many years and a great deal of help and patience from his friends; Ashrah, the ascended demon, Ermac, the liberated, the shaman Nightwolf, and the great Liu Kang who regained his mortality after being reunited with his body. And of course the monks of the Order of Light who never lost their faith that Rayden could be saved.

It was with great pride, humility, gusto, and varying other emotions that Rayden stayed in Earthrealm to watch over it's inhabitants. While he was warned by John the Herald, not again to directly interfere with the affairs of mortals as he did trying to defeat the Deadly Alliance and Onaga, that did not stop him from assuring those who could defend Earthrealm were properly trained, disciplined, ready to expect and face anything and everything. Rayden spent his days with the White Lotus Society and Wu Shi Academy helping it's members prepare for the day when they will have to test their own might and prove to those that would dare challenge Earthrealm that they will not fall so easily. The monks saw him as a great teacher, Rayden saw himself as their servant.

Generations pass. Children are born, grow, age, and die, and children are born again. Life goes on as it always has and always will. And for the moment, Earthrealm was enjoying a serene peace. Rayden walked along the dusty earth road leading away from the temple where members of the White Lotus spent their days training and nights resting. Ahead of him was a small valley, populated by large coniferous trees whose branches hid small birds unseen by the untrained eye, but whose songs could be heard echoing through the sky. Below the trees, smaller flora and fauna lived, and a small field of grass kept short by a small herd of wild sheep, who were lost to farmers generations ago and seemed to have no intention of returning to the life of livestock.

In the field below, Rayden saw three young, or young looking men. One was a monk, Tenzin, one of the more promising students and a fast learner. He was with Liu Kang, who despite being dead and resurrected, and despite his true age, still looked as he did when he was just a few years older than Tenzin and won his first Mortal Kombat tournament. They were practising what appeared from a distance to be Pao Chui, on of the many martial arts that Liu Kang had perfected over his many years. Tenzin seemed not too far behind him.

The third who caught Rayden's eye, a boy more soft and youthful in the face than his two comrades, sat beneath a budding red magnolia tree observing the sparring. Quinn Dowe. The boy who looked remarkably like his father, save the soft facial features he inherited from his mother. He was a perplexing looking character, both old and young at the same time. Gentle, as true to his pacific nature as possible, but deadly if it came down to it. Non-confrontational, passionate, emotional, and strong. Quinn was the type of boy who did not start fights, but he sure could finish them.

It was about ten years ago that Quinn first approached the thunder god, asking to join the White Lotus. Rayden, was just as surprised as anyone else by his request. Most people who knew the young Dowe boy had always believed he would be the one who stayed close to his mother. But in Quinn's mind, his father had wanted at least one of his children to follow in his footsteps of helping defend Earthrealm. And when the eldest, Riley had ran away to join the Lin Kuei, and his sister too busy in her own little world to pay attention to reality, Quinn placed the onus, of making sure Earthrealm was safe on his own shoulders.

In his years training with the White Lotus, Quinn grew a great deal, mentally and physically. Apart for his soft face, he was beginning to look more and more like his father every day. And his parents visited him quite often, more often his father due to the close relations between he and the White Lotus. So when his mother did get the time to visit, Quinn, who hardly ever left her side when he was young, savoured every moment.

Quinn was not a fighter, and he felt that much like his mother, he never would be a kombatant. He was a strategist. As he sat their watching Liu Kang and Tenzin fight, his mind was ticking, watching how their bodies moved, where they left themselves exposed, how to exploit the limitations of the physical body. This was a lesson in biology, physics, math. This was a game of chess where the human body was the entire board, where you hit it and how, would determine how soon you will get check mate. As quick as he would learn a new offence, he would think of three different defences for his very attack. Quinn was often teased, in good humour, that if he ever were to find himself in kombat, he would be too busy thinking of what to do next than the actual battle.

It worked for him though, and it worked for the rest of the monks. They would practice, he would shout 'freeze,' tell one where to hit another and how, or tell one how to block, or counter, and then they would continue on until another spark went through his head and he would repeat the process. Nobody seemed to have a better understanding of the physical body than the young Dowe boy, he had proven himself to be an immeasurable asset to the White Lotus.

While he was still young, by the standards of a God, Quinn felt like an old soul to Rayden. He had a sense of familiarity to him. Though Rayden had known Quinn since he was a born, and watched him grow, visited his family, it wasn't until the boy had come out of his shell and joined the White Lotus that the two developed a friendship. To Quinn, Rayden was a sifu, an uncle, a confidant. They would spend many hours together sitting in peace. Savouring the silent peace while they could.

It was under the very magnolia that the two had opened up to each other when Quinn had first joined the White Lotus. He was small then, a soft runt of a boy, but despite his appearance, he had great potential, and refused 'no' as an answer. Quinn confessed his fears of fighting, of kombat. But he felt this is what his father wanted, he himself had no desires to do anything in particular other than to live a neutral life and observe the people around him. He never felt a part of anything, and had no drive to. He felt completely detached from life. But, by at least helping those who would protect earthrealm, he in turn could assure himself that, while not acting directly, could ensure the protection of the people he loved.

No matter how hard he tried to attach himself to the physical world around himself, all his attempts seemed moot. This frustrated the boy to no end, but at least with the company of a God, not from earthrealm, he would not have to suffer alone. It was through Rayden that Quinn learned that earthrealm is not just rocks and plants and rivers, or buildings or continents or mountains or any of the little things that make up the physical world. It is the human condition, the good and the bad. The vain attempts to be more, get more, see more, do more. The bewildering ability to forgive, show mercy, compassion, and love to a stranger or enemy just as a friend. The burning desire for life, and to continue on living despite all the odds against them.

Quinn was the only human who truly understood that while many might feel as though the gods are looking down at us, they are really looking up in awe and wonder. For they will never know what it is like to be wholly, to live life sinful and sinless at the same time, to be physical for such a short time and then relinquish your connections to the world and move on. Rayden loved and envied the humans so much, that he would be willing to do everything in his powers to protect them, even if it meant defying the commands of the Elder Gods. Quinn in turn, loved his parents and siblings, and even his friends within the White Lotus Society and Rayden, so he felt himself impelled to spend his life serving them.

Quinn would later on in his life, learn his true purpose, his role in protecting earthrealm, and even fight alongside his father, Rayden, and his friends, but that will not happen until later on down the line. Until then, Quinn was quite content to sit underneath the magnolia tree, accompanied by his teacher, and watch life go by uninterrupted.


End file.
